Come What May
by bluedragon1836
Summary: It's Vala's birthday and Daniel decides to spend time with her. As he does, their love and affection blossoms with the help of a beautiful song.
1. Chapter 1

**Come What May**

Vala was bored. She was bored out of her mind. Her current station was in Daniel's office, but he wasn't there. Which partly explained her boredom. The other part was the fact that no else was around either. She sighed and swung her legs gently against the side of the cabinet on which she was sitting. Suddenly, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps and Daniel appeared in the doorway, cup of coffee in one hand, numerous papers in the other. He stopped upon seeing the dark haired ex-thief and her bored expression.

"Uh-oh," he muttered. Walking in, he set his papers and coffee down on his desk.

"Daniel," Vala whined. "I'm bored."

He eyed her bemusedly. "I can tell." There was a pause. "Is that why you're sitting in my office?"

"What do you mean?" Vala demanded indignantly.

"Well, I am the only person around that you can get away with annoying, so . . . " He trailed off shrugging.

"Well, if you put it that way, " Vala grinned. "that is why I'm sitting in your office." Daniel rolled his eyes and took a gulp of coffee. "You know," Vala began, "It's my birthday in two days."

Daniel choked. "What?" he asked, staring.

"It's my birthday in two days."

"Really?" The woman nodded. "Wow, that's . . . wow." Vala smiled. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just, you're so cute when you're speechless." Daniel hurriedly buried himself in his coffee cup, but not before the ex-con had seen the blush with spread across his cheeks. Vala waited until the archeologist had composed himself before speaking again. "You know, Daniel, seeing how my birthday is coming up, the least you could do is spend some time with me."

He looked up, his eyes strangely open and tender. "In what way exactly?"

Vala shrugged. "Well, I, um, I thought that maybe we could go rent a movie or something and, you know, eat popcorn and stuff." She eyed him hopefully as he thought a moment.

"Yes," he said suddenly. "I'd be happy to watch a movie with you."

Vala stared at him. "You . . . you would?" Daniel nodded. "You don't have anything else you'd rather be doing?'

The archeologist smiled. "Actually, no, I don't."

"Really?"

"Really."

Vala hopped off the cabinet. "Well, than what are we waiting for?! I'll go get changed." She bounced out of the room. Daniel looked after her, finishing his coffee. Then, he too headed off to change. Roughly ten minutes later, the two of them were sitting in Daniel's car on the way to the movie rental place. A few minutes after that, Vala was browsing through shelves of DVD's while Daniel trailed behind, hands in his pockets. He was shaken from his thoughts by Vala's voice.

"How about this one?" She was holding up a bright looking movie entitled "Moulin Rouge". He nodded. "You're sure?"

"Yeah."

"Your being honest with me, right?"

"Of course." She eyed him hard for a moment before heading for the counter. Several minutes afterward found the two in Daniel's house. The archeologist stuck a bag of popcorn into the microwave and got the DVD player ready. Vala, meanwhile, explored the house. Daniel found her looking at the piano which had belonged to his mother.

"Do you play?" Vala asked as they headed back to the living room.

"A little, but not in a very long time," Daniel replied simply. As Vala plopped herself down on the couch, the archeologist turned off the lights and started the movie before settling in next to Vala. The ex-con in turn snuggled up to her companion and sighed contentedly. Daniel hesitated a moment and then gently laid his arm over Vala's shoulders.

The movie was very good. Parts of it were funny, other parts sad. The ending especially was a tearjerker. The movie ended and Vala sniffed softly.

"That was sad," she said, "but very good. What did you think?"

Daniel looked down at her. "I liked it."

"Good."

"The music especially."

"Oh, yeah, the music was, like, completely spectacular," Vala agreed.

Daniel held up a finger. "No."

"No?"

"No, it wasn't just spectacular." He grinned unexpectedly. "It was 'Spectacular Spectacular'."

Vala laughed. "That is exactly true." They shared a gentle smile and then Daniel got up to take the DVD out of the player. Vala glanced at the clock and yawned.

"Well," she said, "that was a lot of fun. Thank you."

Daniel looked at her, his eyes smiling. "You're welcome." Vala got to her feet.

"Well, I'm sure that you really do have a ton of work to do, so if you want to take me back to Stargate Command . . . "

"Uh, actually," Daniel broke in, "I was thinking of just staying here tonight since I don't much feel like working so you're welcome to - to stay here."

Vala stared. "Really?" The archeologist nodded. "You don't mind?"

"No." Vala was surprised at his sudden openness to her, but she wasn't about to argue.

"Thank you." Daniel smiled. "But I don't have any clothes or anything."

"You mean to sleep in? I have some clothes you could borrow." He took her bedroom and showed her the clothes he had in mind. A few minutes, she appeared in her tank-top and an old pair of sweats.

"Do you have a blanket I could borrow?" she asked. "I was just planning to sleep on the couch or something."

"Um, actually, I was going to stay up a little bit anyway, just to check emails and stuff, so you're free to use the bed."

"Oh. Okay." She squeezed him into a quick hug. "'Night."

"Goodnight." Daniel watched her disappear into the bedroom, a smile on his face. Then he turned back to the computer and began to browse.

**Do you like it so far? Please review. Oh, by the way, when I said that Daniel smiled with his eyes, I was talking about the look he gets sometimes where his eyes look like he's smiling, but he's not. anywho, review. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay folks. Here's the next chapter. Thanks to all who reviewed. Enjoy.**

Vala awoke the next morning to find that Daniel was gone. In the kitchen was a note from him which read: "Gone for supplies. Don't leave the house. Don't touch anything." That made her smile. She could picture Daniel saying that, the way his eyes would get the intense look and his finger would point expressively at her. She loved that look.

Daniel was, at that exact moment, thinking about Vala. The reason was, very simply, that he was shopping for her birthday present. He knew exactly what to get her. Now it was only a matter of finding it. At last, on one of the many shelves, he spotted it. Eagerly, he snatched it away and headed towards the register.

Vala was eating a bowl of cereal when Daniel came in the door. She heard him move into one of the other rooms and then he appeared in the kitchen door.

"Morning," he greeted. "Sleep well?"

Vala nodded. "Your bed is very comfortable."

"That's, uh, good. That's good." There was silence for a moment as Daniel grabbed a bowl and poured himself some cereal. Vala at last broke the silence.

"Daniel." The archeologist looked up. "I wanted to thank you again. I really enjoyed watching that movie with you last night."

The gentle smile returned to his eyes. "Actually, I should be the one thanking you. I had fun last night too - more fun than I've had in a while." The two smiled at each other. Each of them wanted to say something else, but uncertainty held them both back. At last, they looked away and continued eating, each now wishing they had spoken.

When breakfast was finished and the dishes put in the dishwasher, Vala curled up on the couch and turned on the TV. She'd only been watching a few minutes when Daniel came it.

"I need to run by the base a few minutes," he said. "Do you want me to pick anything up for you?"

"A change of clothes would be nice," Vala said with a smile. Daniel nodded and handed her the note he had written that morning. Vala took it, read it, and grinned. The archeologist gave her a look and then headed towards his car for the second time that day.

The rest of the day, after Daniel got back, went very quickly. The ex-con alternated between watching TV to annoying the hapless archeologist who was attempting to get some work done. Finally she subside with a grin, but only after Daniel had threatened to take her back to the base. That evening, Vala again slept in the bed. She awoke early the next morning to find Daniel fast asleep on the couch. She stood for several minutes just gazing at him. After a while, warned no doubt by some sixth sense, the archeologist opened his eyes and blinked sleepily at her.

"Morning, sleepy head," Vala greeted gently. Daniel stretched, yawned, and fumbled for his glasses.

"Happy Birthday," he said upon finding them and putting them on.

Vala smiled. "You remembered." Daniel mirrored her smile and headed into the kitchen to cook breakfast.

The next couple of hours went by in much the same way as the previous day. Around six o'clock, however, Daniel told Vala to put on something nice and not to ask any questions. The black haired ex-thief complied with both orders. Next, Daniel herded her into the car and began to drive.

"Daniel, where are we going?" Vala asked.

"You'll see," was all he would say. At last, he pulled into the parking lot of an elegant - and expensive - restaurant.

"You're taking me to dinner?!" Vala exclaimed.

Daniel smiled at her surprised look. "It is your birthday after all."

"True," and Vala smiled. The two got out of the car and headed inside.

**Next chapter up very soon. Review please. It really does make my day brighter. LOL.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here it is. The next installment. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed my story. Hope you enjoy. This one is short, but man is it good! If I don't say so myself.**

"Oh, Daniel," Vala sighed, "that was wonderful."

"Well, don't thank me yet. I'm not done," Daniel answered. They were on their way back to his house.

"There's more?" The archeologist nodded, a smile curving his lips.

"And I don't suppose you're going to tell me what the 'more' might include?" For answer, Daniel's smile widened and he shook his head. "You always were stubborn," Vala told him.

"Yep." They reached the house and Daniel helped Vala out of the car. Once inside, the archeologist sat Vala down at the couch, told her to wait there, and then headed into the kitchen. Vala's curiosity nearly drove her nuts, but at last she heard Daniel coming back. When he appeared in the doorway, the ex-con gasped. Held in his hands was a cake with lighted candles.

"Happy Birthday to you," sang Daniel in a gentle tenor. "Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, dear Vala. Happy Birthday to you." By the end of the song, he had reached Vala and set the cake down in front of her on the table. "Make a wish," Daniel said. Vala did so and blew out the candles.

"You really shouldn't have," she told her companion as he cut the cake.

"Everyone has to have cake on their birthday," came the reply.

Vala smiled and took a bite.

"Mmmmm," she said. "That's good."

Daniel smiled. "Good," he said and left the room again. He returned with several somethings wrapped in bright paper. Vala stared at them and then Daniel. "Just open them," he said before she could open her mouth. Vala did so and smiled. Two packages held DVD's: 'Moulin Rouge' and 'Pride and Prejudice'. The other package held a CDL the soundtrack to 'Moulin Rouge'.

"Thank you," Vala said and squeezed Daniel into a warm hug.

The next day, Monday, brought an end to the enjoyable weekend as Daniel, Vala, and their teammates were back on duty at Stargate Command. Thus is was several weeks before Daniel was able to implement the plan he had devised on Vala's birthday. One night, however, the team had the evening off and Daniel - for once - didn't have a truckload of work. Vala was in her room, listening to the CD Daniel had bought her. When the knock sounded, she leapt up to answer the door.

"Hey," Daniel greeted. "I just came by to ask if you were free tonight."

"I don't have any plans if that's what you mean," said Vala in reply, curious as to why the archeologist was asking.

"Good. I was asking 'cause there's something at my house that I want to show you . . . well, tell you rather."

Vala smiled. "Hang on one sec," and she closed the door. She was out a few minutes later, dressed in something more comfortable. Not much later, they were at Daniel's house. Vala expected to be led to the living-room, but the archeologist took her instead to the room with the piano.

"I thought you didn't play," Vala exclaimed as her companion sat down on the piano bench.

"No, I said that I hadn't played in a long time," Daniel corrected. "This is sort of a late birthday gift." Turning to the piano, he laid his fingers gently on the keys and began to play. Vala recognized it immediately. It was "Come What May" from "Moulin Rouge". Suddenly, to her surprise, Daniel began to sing in his rich, light tenor.

"Never knew I could feel like this. Like I'd never seen the sky before. I want to vanish inside your kiss. Everyday I love you more and more." His voice rose in volume as his playing became more confident. "Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing? Telling me to give you everything. Seasons may change. Winter to spring." He paused a brief second and looked up at Vala, his blue eyes earnest and tender. "But I love you until the end of time. Come what may. Come what may. I will love you until my dying day." With a sudden beautiful shock, Vala realized that he meant it. And now it was her turn.

"Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place," she sang in a voice so beautiful that Daniel almost forgot what he was playing. "Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace."

"Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste," they sang together.

"It all revolves around you," Vala added.

Then, once again in unison, they sang: "And there's no mountain too high. No river too wide. Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side. Stormclouds may gather and stars may collide." They looked at each other, tender eyes to tender eyes.

"But I love you," sang Daniel.

"I love you," echoed Vala.

"Until the end of time," they both sang. "Come what may. Come what may. I will love you until my dying day." Daniel played the last few chords and then everything was silent.

"Oh, Daniel," Vala whispered, "I don't know what to say."

The archeologist rose and approached until they were face-to-face.

"You don't have to say anything," he said gently and kissed her. Vala allowed her heart to take over and kissed him back. That night, Daniel's bed was occupied and the couch was untouched.

**Like it? Yes? No? Please review and let me know. Note: the lyrics to the song Come What May are not mine. If you're interested I'm sure you can find this song on youtube. It is simply beautiful. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry this has taken so long to upload. I have no excuse. Hope you enjoy.**

Daniel Jackson awoke the next morning to feel Vala's warm body snuggled next to his under the covers. He ran his eyes over her beautiful face and realized just how much he loved her. Gently and with infinite tenderness, he began tracing her features with his finger. Vala gave a soft sigh, smiled, and opened her eyes.

"Hey," Daniel greeted, his voice low and husky.

"Hey," replied Vala. "Sleep well?"

The archeologist smiled. "Better than I have in a long time."

"Yeah, me too." They lay for several minutes just staring at each other, studying every feature and storing it away into memory to be looked at when needed.

"I hate to say this," said Daniel at last, "but we have a briefing in half-an-hour." Vala nodded and the two climbed reluctantly out of bed.

Samantha Carter walked briskly into the briefing room expecting to be late. To her surprise, she wasn't. Cameron Mitchell motioned her to sit down.

"We're still waiting on Jackson and Vala," he said unnecessarily.

Sam frowned in puzzlement. "It's not like Daniel to be this late."

"It is not," Teal'c agreed from where he sat beside Mitchell. General Landry walked in from his office and Mitchell and Sam jumped to their feet.

"At ease," the general ordered. They sat down again. At that moment, Daniel, followed by Vala, dashed in, breathless and smiling.

"Sorry we're late, General," the former said. Landry nodded and the two took their seats while their teammates looked on curiously. SG-1 was going on a simple recognizance mission so the briefing wasn't very long. As the five friends headed towards the locker rooms, questions began flying.

"So, where were this morning?" Mitchell asked.

"Home," Daniel answered.

"Doing what?" The archeologist and the ex-con exchanged glances.

"Nothing," they said in unison. Sam, Mitchell, and Teal'c all grinned at each other.

"We'll take your word for it," said Sam.

"This time," added Mitchell.

"Indeed," Teal'c intoned and the other four laughed.

About half-an-hour later, SG-1, decked out in weapons and combat BDU's, stood in front of the Stargate. The wormhole formed with a rush of blue light.

"Good luck," Landry said from the control room.

"Thank you, General," Mitchell replied and he led his team up the metal ramp and through the shimmering event horizon to an unknown planet.

It was earth-like in appearence with green trees, green grass, and a blueish-green sky. The Stargate itself stood in a wide clearing surrounded by woods.

"Alright, folks," Mitchell said looking around. "Let's fan out and see if we can find anything interesting." Without even having to think, Daniel and Vala split off and headed in one direction while Mitchell, Sam, and Teal'c went the opposite way.

"I wonder what Mitchell would define as interesting," Daniel mused aloud. "Interesting by my standards or his."

"Let me see," said Vala. "You're standards would be the ruins of a long dead alien civilization, preferably with lots of writing and Mitchell's would be a weapon of some sort, right?"

Daniel grinned at her. "Right as rain." They walked on in silence, eyes peeled for anything other than trees. Suddenly, Vala grabbed Daniel's arm and pointed into the trees.

"I see something over there." The archeologist looked in the direction she was indicating.

"You're right," he agreed. "Let's go check it out." They pushed through the trees until they broke out into a small clearing. In that clearing were the ruined walls of what Daniel took to be a temple of some sort.

"I think we've found your idea of interesting," said Vala.

"Uh-huh," Daniel mumbled absently, moving closer to inspect the crumbling walls. Vala smiled as she watched him. Then she grabbed her radio.

"Guys, this is Vala, come in."

"_We read you,"_ came Mitchell's voice. _"What's up?"_

"Well, I'm just calling to tell you to take your time exploring. Daniel's found a ruin of some sort and you know how he is when he's working."

"_Roger that," _Mitchell replied in an amused tone. _"We'll call when we're heading back to the gate." _

"Gotcha. Vala out." She put the radio back on her vest and turned back to where Daniel studied the wall. "That interesting?" she asked.

"Uh-huh."

"Gonna be here awhile?"

"Uh-huh."

"Love me?"

"Uh-huh."

"Want to go to a bar and get uproariously drunk?"

"Uh-huh - " Daniel began, stopped, frowned, and stared at her. "What?"

Vala laughed. "Nothing. I was just seeing if you were paying attention."

"Oh." Daniel frowned again and went back to his work. Vala, still smiling, sat down on a rock to wait.

Minutes ticked by in utter silence. For what seemed the upteenth time, Vala checked her watch and sighed loudly. Daniel glanced at her.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, coming to stand beside her. "I know this isn't interesting to you."

Vala looked up at him. "You're right, it's not, but that doesn't matter, darling." She was about to say more, but Daniel held up his hand silencing her.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"Gunfire. I hear gunfire."

**Ooohhh, cliffhanger. TO BE CONTINUED!!!! Mwa ha ha ha ha ha. Sorry, got carried away. Next chapter up soon. Promise. Most likely this weekend. Review please. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Here is the long awaited next chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks to all who have reviewed this story. **

**Previously . . . **

_Daniel held up his hand silencing her. _

"_What is it?" she whispered._

"_Gunfire. I hear gunfire."_

**And now, the conclusion . . . **

"Are you - " began Vala, but the radio suddenly crackled to life.

"_Jackson, Vala, we're under attack! Get to the gate!"_

"Roger that." Quickly, Daniel grabbed his stuff and hurried into the trees, Vala following. They were a little more than halfway to the Stargate when they saw the soldiers in front of them.

Daniel crouched down, pulling Vala down with him.

"They've cut us off," the latter observed in a whisper.

"Yeah, I noticed." Daniel grabbed his radio. "Guys, this is Daniel. We're cut off from the gate. I repeat, we are cut off from the gate."

There was a pause. _"Hang tight," _came Mitchell's voice, shouting to be heard over the gunfire. _"We'll come get you."_

"Negative," Daniel replied. "You guys just get through the gate. We'll try and get through later." There was silence. "They haven't seen us yet," he added. "We'll be fine."

"_Copy that. If we can come back for you, we will. Just . . . try not to get caught and killed."_

"No argument there," said Daniel with a small grin. "See you in a bit. Daniel out." He looked at Vala and motioned her to follow him. Still crouching, they retreated back out of sight of the soldiers.

"Well, what's the plan?" Vala asked.

"We'll head back to the ruins and wait for night. Then we'll try and get through the gate."

Vala nodded. "Sounds good." Unfortunately, even good plans have a tendency to go wrong. They hadn't gone very far when a shot suddenly hit a tree beside them.

"Down!" Daniel yelled unnecessarily. He whirled as he crouched, firing his weapon into the trees. Beside Vala, was firing too. Soon, however, it became obvious that the odds were not in their favor.

"Fall back!" Daniel yelled and they began retreating, still firing at the advancing enemy. They had just reached the clearing when the noise of a fast approaching ship was heard. Simultaneously, they both began to run. Shots whistled by from the pursuers. Soon those noises were joined by the large harsh sounds of the ship's weapons as it too opened fire. The two fugitives reached the ruins, but Daniel realized that they wouldn't provide much protection now. Quickly racking his brain for every bit of knowledge relating to temples of this design, Daniel ran into what would have been the main room. Once inside, he began tapping on the stone floor.

"What are you doing?!" Vala exclaimed.

"Some temples had secret vaults under the floor. I'm really hoping that this is one of them." Sure enough, he both heard and felt a hollow thud beneath his boot. "Help me get it up," he said, forcing his fingers under the stone. Together, they managed to pry up the stone revealing a deep hole underneath with stairs vanishing into the darkness.

"Go!" Daniel told Vala. She hesitated only a moment before hurrying down the rough hewn steps. Daniel followed her, allowing the stone to crash back into place behind him. It had barely done so before a huge explosion sounded directly above him, rocking the staircase. With loud cries, both Daniel and Vala lost their footing and tumbled into the darkness.

**Another cliffhanger of sorts. Don't worry, next - and final - chapter will likely be posted by the end of today. Reviews welcomed and appreciated. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Here it is. The final chapter. The exciting conclusion. Etc. Hope you enjoy it. Sorry I didn't post sooner. I have no excuse. Other than the fact that Algebra II is taking up all my time.**

Vala waited until the last echoes had died away before cautiously sitting up. She immediately sneezed; the air was full of dust.

"Daniel?" She queried. There was no reply. "Daniel!" Couching, she grabbed her P-90 and turned on the attached light, thankful that it wasn't broken. She appeared to be in a low long cavern. Turning slowly, her light fell on this staircase - now covered in rubble - and a motionless figure lying at its foot. Vala ran forward and knelt beside him.

"Daniel?" she question urgently. "Can you hear me?" There was no reply, but a quick check showed that he was simply unconscious and not . . . Vala pushed that thought out of her mind. She took off her jacket and placed it under her companion's head. Then, taking the P-90, she headed a little ways down the passage.

Sam sat in her lab typing up what she could for her mission report. Or rather, she was attempting to. Her mind kept wandering. Mitchell and Teal'c wandered in.

"Mission report?" Mitchell asked.

Sam nodded. "I'm having trouble concentrating though."

They all exchanged knowing looks. "They'll get back alright," Mitchell said confidently. They have too, he added silently. They have to.

Daniel awoke with a headache. He felt like someone had hit him on the head with a sledgehammer.

"Ow," he groaned and sat up.

Vala was at his side in an instant, having returned from her exploring. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Well, nothing's broken," Daniel answered.

"But . . . ?"

"But my head is pounding." He looked around. "And I can't see."

"It is pretty dark in here," Vala agreed. "Not to mention your glasses appear to be missing." Daniel reached up and found that they weren't on his nose.

"Yeah, that would explain it." Daniel took a deep breath to sigh and sneezed instead.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that you should try not the breathe."

"Right." Daniel got to his feet and nearly fell over again.

Vala steadied him gently. "Maybe you should sit down again."

"No, I'm fine. Just got a little dizzy."

"You probably have a concusion or something." Daniel glared at her. "I'm just saying."

Daniel sighed a small, cautious sigh. "You're probably right. But I'm fine . . . or at least I will be." Vala nodded, accepting his answer.

"The stairs are blocked so the only way out is this way," she said as they started walking. "I explored down it a little bit, but I didn't want to go very far with you unconscious back there."

Daniel nodded. "Most tunnels have a second entrance so if we follow this, we should find in eventually."

"Eventually?" Vala asked.

"Well, there's no telling how long this tunnel is," her companion explained.

"Ah," said Vala and they continued walking. Fifteen minutes later, they were still walking. The tunnel stretched endlessly on into the darkness and the shadows the light created. Vala was worried about Daniel. He kept stumbling, using the wall to keep upright.

"Why don't we rest a minute," Vala suggested. Daniel nodded and flopped to the ground. Vala watched him a moment. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, why?"

The ex-con gave him a look. "Well, for one you look like you rolled through a dirt pile and for another, you were supporting yourself with the wall."

Daniel reflected the look back. "You don't look much better, you know."

"You're avoiding my question."

The archeologist sighed. "I just have a headache. I'll be fine." Vala said nothing, but her eyes spoke volumes. "Really, Vala," Daniel insisted. "I'll be fine."

Vala smiled gently. "I love you, Daniel, so I'm justified in my worrying."

Daniel smiled back. Yes, I suppose you are." They shared a tender look. "We should probably keep going," the archeologist said at last. They got to their feet and headed off again towards what they hoped was a way out. At long last, daylight could be seen ahead. Daniel and Vala hurried forward and stepped out of the tunnel. They were still in a forest, but the undergrowth was denser and more lush.

Daniel looked around. "I think the Stargate is thataway," he said pointing. "We should head towards it. It'll be dark soon anyway it looks like."

Several minutes later, they had reached a point several yards from the gate. Now the only problem left was the fact that there were several guards patrolling the area.

"Alright," Daniel whispered, "here's the plan. I distract the guards while you dial the gate."

"Well, that sounds like a good plan except that your the one taking all the risk. What if they catch you?"

"Then I'll at least know that you're safe." He looked at her, blue eyes intense. "I've lost so many people I cared about. I . . . I can't lose you too."

Vala smiled, her eyes shining. "I understand. Let's do this." Daniel laid a restraining hand on her arm.

"There's something I want to ask you. I wouldn't normally have chosen now, but the fact is . . . I many not get another chance." Gently, he took her hand in one of his own. "Vala Mal Doran," he began, "will you marry me?"

Vala smiled, her heart telling her the answer. "Yes, Daniel Jackson, I will." The archeologist smiled in utter happiness and kissed her passionately.

"Now," he said, "let's do this," and they moved away to implement their plan.

Daniel dashed through the woods, making as much noise as possible. Sure enough, all the guards but two had raced into the woods after him. A few seconds later, Vala burst from her hiding place. The two men left on guard didn't stand a chance. Working quickly, she dialed the Stargate and sent her iris code through.

"I did it," she radioed Daniel. "Get to the gate."

"_Copy,"_ her companion panted.

Vala waited anxiously by the open Stargate. Soon, sounds of people crashing through underbrush could be heard drawing closer. Daniel suddenly rocketed out of the trees and into the clearing, followed closely by the other guards.

"Go!" he yelled as a shot whizzed by his head. Vala turned immediately and ran through the gate. A few seconds later, Daniel followed her, diving headlong into the shimmering ring. About 3.5 seconds later, he landed rather painfully on the floor of the SG-C. The gate shut down behind him. Vala helped the archeologist to his feet as Sam, Mitchell, and Teal'c rushed forward to greet them.

A few hours later, Daniel and Vala lay happily in each others arms under the blankets of the archeologist's bed. On the finger of the soon-to-be Mrs. Jackson sat a diamond ring. They kissed gently in the darkness.

Daniel smiled at his fiance fondly. "Come what may," he sang gently, "I will love you until my dying day."

Vala smiled back, tears of happiness shining in her eyes.

**The End**

**Did you like it? Please review and tell me what you think. Special thanks to all who reviewed. You are greatly appreciated. This Blue Dragon signing off. **


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